Question about how you actually judge an agency's past work

I was talking to a friend who runs a small business in Phoenix, and she said she stopped asking agencies for their portfolio. Instead, she asks them to show her a project they lost and explain why they think they lost it. She told me, "That tells you more about their thinking than any shiny case study." It made me realize I've been looking at reviews all wrong, just checking for star ratings. Has anyone else tried asking a question like that before hiring?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason.cole4d ago

Yeah that's a smart way to do it. Heard a similar thing about asking what they'd change about a past project they actually won. Shows if they can learn from their own work.

betht324d ago

That's a sharp move by your friend. @mason.cole has a good point too. Another thing to ask is how they handle a project when the client's goals change halfway through. Their answer shows if they're flexible or just stick to a plan no matter what.